Incumbents Swept Back Into Plantation Seats

PLANTATION -- Voters overwhelmingly put their confidence in the incumbents Tuesday to lasso the city`s rapid growth in the next four years.

Mayor Frank Veltri, 74, and City Council members John Gibbs, 53, and Rae Carole Armstrong, 48, overwhelmingly defeated their challengers by better than 4-to-1 margins.

All three incumbents ran on platforms that stressed keeping a tight control on growth.

Only 13 percent of the city`s nearly 32,000 registered voters cast ballots in this city of 52,000, the lowest turnout of any municipal election in Broward County on Tuesday.

The three winners, who will be sworn in for four-year terms at noon Friday at City Hall, attributed their success to campaigns stressing controlled growth.

With red, white and blue blimp-shaped balloons overhead, the incumbents celebrated by munching on cookies, grapes and bagels at City Hall. They said they spent Tuesday prodding to the polls voters lulled into apathy by the tepid campaigns.

``Maybe they weren`t the right challengers or things aren`t as bad as they think it is,`` Gibbs said. ``I`ve been in six races and this one is by far the cupcake.``

Challengers said the low turnout favored the incumbents because most voters were retirees living in condominiums and loyalists to the current administration.

``Even though people talked about a need for change, they wouldn`t get out and vote,`` said 58-year-old Leon ``Lee`` Solomon, who unsuccessfully challenged Gibbs in Group 1. Gibbs was a council member 1971-75 and 1978-87.

The incumbents, disappointed with the voter apathy, blamed low-key campaigns mounted by challengers. In 1982, about 25 percent of the city`s registered voters cast ballots.

``There`s apathy out there,`` Veltri said. ``But the turnout also is a vote of confidence that we`ve done a good job.``

Armstrong said she believes voters didn`t agree with the challengers` charges that the incumbents lacked planning during their terms.

``People are acknowledging that the incumbents have worked under great pressure,`` said Armstrong, elected to a second term. ``We`ve tried to put in the framework needed for controlled growth.``

Will Connelly, 56, who lost the Group 2 council seat to Armstrong, said he didn`t regret challenging Armstrong so she wouldn`t be unopposed.

Courtlandt McQuire, 55, who lost the mayoral race Tuesday to Veltri for a second time in a row, said he believes the city will not get a new mayor until Veltri gives up the seat. The mayor has been in office for 12 years.

Veltri declined to say whether this would be his last campaign for mayor. ``I`ve always taken it a step at a time,`` he said. ``I`ll decide whether I`ll run again in four years.``